Sheridan also reported that another memo being sent to China's
universities told them to avoid “seven evil subjects," which were
listed as "universal values; western ideas of the freedom of the
press; civil society; civic rights; historical mistakes of the
Communist party; crony networks; and judicial independence."

The similarity between the two reports seems to suggest that
these seven issues (or some variation on them) must be what
really keeps the Chinese elite up at night. And that's not
exactly surprising — China has been keen to modernize without
creating its own Gorbachev-moment.

“There’s no doubt then it had direct endorsement from Xi
Jinping,” Li Weidong, a political commentator and former magazine
editor in Beijing, told the New York Times. “It’s certainly had
his approval and reflects his general views.”